3.5 stars, rounded up. Our protagonist falls in love with a puppet. And that's it: this is more heartfelt and uncomplicated depiction of objectum than3.5 stars, rounded up. Our protagonist falls in love with a puppet. And that's it: this is more heartfelt and uncomplicated depiction of objectum than a narrative, which is fine; representation justifies itself, especially for an under-discussed type of attraction. Limbo's art is highly stylized, trippy and animated and joyously queer, all of which I can appreciate without enjoying it aesthetically. ...more
Obsessed and brimming with resentment, Sydney wishes for their best friend to need them - a wish that comes true in the worst way when that friend devObsessed and brimming with resentment, Sydney wishes for their best friend to need them - a wish that comes true in the worst way when that friend develops the fatal forest sickness. This kind of slightly whimsical, painfully earnest millennial angst ("I'm terrible queer representation") is cringe pressed and bound, and normally makes me recoil; and this did make me recoil, and yet... Too neat a resolution, as required in every narrative about learning self-love, but the specificity of its relatable anxieties, the dark whimsy with touches of abjection, and particularly the ugly honesty of insecurity in the shape of desire, possess craft and movement that works with these themes usually lack. I'm not fond of the art style and the font used for Trip's dialog is actively hostile, but the dense panels have that same sort of movement. This is a productive, energetic, naked wallowing; I don't know if I really like it so much as I'm impressed I didn't actively hate it, but with this kind of confrontational, too-real content ... that's kind of the same thing?...more
The rating on this one made me expect that other readers just didn't get LaRocca's queer exploitation horror; I should have actually read the reviews,The rating on this one made me expect that other readers just didn't get LaRocca's queer exploitation horror; I should have actually read the reviews, because we're all picking this up for the same reasons (Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke was so silly; reader, I still think about it all the time), but this is simply that bad. It's a first draft with an ISBN, laden with clumsy, sometimes competing metaphors and overwrought interior views, following two disconnected narratives which unite only in the final pages, one going Lovecraftian cult, the other going hate crimes and on-page sexual violence. And the thing is, I get it. These anxieties, about disability and disfigurement, sexuality and social isolation, rape and God and the bonds & violence that exist within/around the queer community, are compelling, are discomforting, and could be refined into ... something. But they're not, here. Exploitation is as exploitation does, I don't really have an issue with what's depicted (except the ableism, which is straight-up Bad); it's just, to what purpose? Shock, yes; gestures at pretension or depth, but somehow with even less refinement that LaRocca's usual, signifying a "you tried, kind of," which in a published book is approximately nothing....more
After the events of the previous book, Easton returns home to Gallacia to recover & to host Miss Potter at their family lodge - only to find the caretAfter the events of the previous book, Easton returns home to Gallacia to recover & to host Miss Potter at their family lodge - only to find the caretaker dead, and the locals avoiding the area. Nothing objectively wrong with this, also (I feel like) nothing particularly striking: cool to see a glimpse of Gallacia and engage with the worldbuilding, and I like the "no, you see, THOSE horrors all had logical explanations! this one is just superstition" premise. But, unfortunately for me, I was distracted by the combination of Vernon's humor, the first person narrative, and Roque's overacted narration, which together fall straight into forced. Not unlistenable, but not for me; I basically brute forced it to the finish line....more
Snapshots of a life of a young lover and his first love. Once again, Wilson's writing is a pleasure. It's vibrant and playful, with an engaging use ofSnapshots of a life of a young lover and his first love. Once again, Wilson's writing is a pleasure. It's vibrant and playful, with an engaging use of language; oversized relationships and characters coexist with unusual genre-bending worldbuilding and issues of race, culture, and class. It's profoundly original, and manages to be both challenging and engaging. I didn't love A Taste of Honey as much as The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps--it's a smaller story; there's a similar combination of interpersonal and worldbuilding, but the worldbuilding has a more restricted effect on the plot. That said, it's interesting to see a wider view of the same setting, and this gave me the style and core elements that I came looking for.
Merged review:
Snapshots of a life of a young lover and his first love. Once again, Wilson's writing is a pleasure. It's vibrant and playful, with an engaging use of language; oversized relationships and characters coexist with unusual genre-bending worldbuilding and issues of race, culture, and class. It's profoundly original, and manages to be both challenging and engaging. I didn't love A Taste of Honey as much as The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps--it's a smaller story; there's a similar combination of interpersonal and worldbuilding, but the worldbuilding has a more restricted effect on the plot. That said, it's interesting to see a wider view of the same setting, and this gave me the style and core elements that I came looking for....more
Veris is the only person to have entered the north woods and returned and, compelled by the Tyrant, she enters them again in search of his missing chiVeris is the only person to have entered the north woods and returned and, compelled by the Tyrant, she enters them again in search of his missing children. Nightmare-fairytale woods set in autumn, and I picked it up at the beginning of autumn - it felt like it showed up wrapped in a bow and there was no chance I wouldn't like it. And I do! This has great heaps of aesthetic, intuitive magics, strange monsters, fey creatures, and the right kind of evocative language to suit the weird setting. The tortured backstories get pretty tortured, and the protagonist's reveals don't quite land - there's nothing objectively wrong with them; they just fail to live up to the build-up. But the consequences of the setting (both within and without the forest) are thoughtful & effective, particularly in the relationship between the protagonist and the children, the children as representative (or not) of their position. This is reread material for me next autumn. ...more
A southern gothic following the fate of an entire town rather than a single family, after a tragic accident sparks a journey of uncontrolled, dispropoA southern gothic following the fate of an entire town rather than a single family, after a tragic accident sparks a journey of uncontrolled, disproportionate revenge. That's a cool approach in theory, focused as much on setting as character; in practice, it makes for slow & repetitive pacing as the narrative pauses to introduce/kill off a widening cast. This is black comedy/horror, a combination that doesn't work for me - that rollicking, over the top tone ain't my thing. Except the climax and resolution, which are a delightful juxtaposition; the last chapter is pretty much perfect. So: not for me, but an interesting read, and it leaves me ambivalent about reading more McDowell (the Blackwater series has been on my TBR for some time). CW for tiresome fatphobia, but the depictions of race are, crucially, not awful....more
2.5 rounded up. A reporter returns to her hometown to investigate apparent serial murders, and is thrust back into her troubled home life. Thrillers a2.5 rounded up. A reporter returns to her hometown to investigate apparent serial murders, and is thrust back into her troubled home life. Thrillers are larger than life in order to justify their pacing and twists, and that exaggerated scale grates against some of the psychological depth Flynn aims to explore; that depth is also what makes this stand out from the crowd. Readable, compelling, persistently unpleasant, but this failed to get under my skin - and I think it needed to. Case in point: I have a long and easily-triggered history with self-injury, and this didn't trigger me, barely pinged on my radar. Everything is pushed too far: the protagonist didn't just self-injure, she (view spoiler)[carved thematically-relevant words into her skin (hide spoiler)]; like the overlong coda, there is something here, particularly in the characterization of Amma-as-viewed-by-Camille, but it tips towards strained rather than haunting. I honestly don't know that it could be toned back without losing its momentum and genre, so, once again, the takeaway may simply be that this isn't the genre for me....more
Reminiscent of Carroll in pacing and tone, with a moody blue and green color palette and a sinuous style, exploring the want to be with/want to be likReminiscent of Carroll in pacing and tone, with a moody blue and green color palette and a sinuous style, exploring the want to be with/want to be like of queer desire and the performance of beauty. Lovely! Also turned me on to Silver Sprocket, which publishes a number of short graphic novels with similar queer + (body) horror vibes....more
On one hand, exactly what I would expect from "Mean Girls but sapphic werewolves"; on the other: it's Mean Girls, but sapphic werewolves, and I'm hereOn one hand, exactly what I would expect from "Mean Girls but sapphic werewolves"; on the other: it's Mean Girls, but sapphic werewolves, and I'm here for that. In striking a tonal balance, horror-but-fun, and cleaving to a single-volume length, this of course raises issues it never resolves, and those are so much less palatable and more interesting than the werewolves = hunger = anger = teen girl experience metaphor we get, which is resonant but broad; I wish fewer pages were stolen by the sweet but simple resolution. But taken within its limitations, this is delightful. Solid art, even if I don't love the wolves, fun reading experience, well constrained....more
Terry's father reenters her life, and on his heels a strange, pale, cold boy, both exerting a tumultuous effect on the already-wild life of a teen ModTerry's father reenters her life, and on his heels a strange, pale, cold boy, both exerting a tumultuous effect on the already-wild life of a teen Mod. On one hand, this needs more vampire; on the other, Gaskell is intentionally foiling the two halves of the protagonist's life, the social dramas of her parent's failed marriage and the Mod subculture, and the longing for something else, something worse, something dangerous and captivating. Gaskell's language is remarkable:
The Boy's shadow netted Terry's catching-up feet. It was bitty, a tattered shadow, a light-trick sliding across the pavingstones, as though his clothes were throwing shadow but he wasn't.
Imagery I've never seen, distinctive and strange and doing more than plot or characterization to sell the Boy's mystique. I found this chasing back from Klause's introduction to The Silver Kiss, and this book's influence on that one and therefore on the lineage of YA paranormal romances/urban fantasy is unmistakable. Hell, this precedes Interview with the Vampire and the popularization of the sympathetic vampire by over a decade. As a reading experience, I still agree with the protagonist: needs more vampire and less of the mundane. But it's well worth tracking down - as with all Gaskell, it's incredibly out of print. ...more
Inseparable twins are separated when their parents send one of them to boarding school. Every story about creepy twins immediately begs trope-guessingInseparable twins are separated when their parents send one of them to boarding school. Every story about creepy twins immediately begs trope-guessing (one isn't real/is dead? codependency, incest, evil twin, mistaken identity, telepathy?) and I'm delighted to say that this has multiple of those, leaning hard into creepy codependenies (plural!), which means it might as well be dedicated to me, personally. Is it good? Not as remarkable in language or atmosphere as Freeze Tag, but I still appreciate Cooney's voice, a stylistic brevity that balances nicely the melodrama. Like many stories about evil, this falls apart a little when it goes to depict evil - there's a pivotal scene that needs to be scary and can't quite sell itself, and so it loses instead of gains momentum, and the ending doesn't recapture it. But in premise, I'm an easy sell and this didn't disappoint; I can see myself rereading this. ...more
A retelling of the life of Charley Parkhurst (born Charlotte), who fled an orphanage to live as a male stable hand and stagecoach driver. Published inA retelling of the life of Charley Parkhurst (born Charlotte), who fled an orphanage to live as a male stable hand and stagecoach driver. Published in 1999, this is one of those (minor but apparently beloved?) MG novels that wasn't part of my own MG experience; I imagine it would be significantly different if written now, as Ryan treats Charley as the public persona and Charlotte as the private self, retaining she/her pronouns, shrinking the scale to age down the historic 1868 vote, and ending before Charlie's death and the discovery of his birth sex. The result is still compassionate and grounded, and like most stories of crossdressing to attain restricted social freedom it feels private, secretive, intensely personal, empowering, and full of potential; also: horses - I could see eating this up as a kid. But twenty-some years later, it's somewhat conservative in its approach to the nuance of pre-modern gender nonconformity. ...more
As a teen, blissfully happy in first love, our protagonist is confronted by the consequences of a strange event from her childhood. Teenage love, blacAs a teen, blissfully happy in first love, our protagonist is confronted by the consequences of a strange event from her childhood. Teenage love, blackmail, the world's weirdest superpower and a winter setting that fits it perfectly, and Cooney's remarkable, metaphor-laden, taut voice - the last of which elevates this far beyond ... what, its deserving? the YA thriller genre? maybe just my expectations. This is worth it for the childhood prologue alone, which is phenomenal; the teenage parts grow melodramatic, but I like that this finds so much tension in the lingering, haunting imprint of that one childhood evening. Of course an outsider wouldn't believe: our protagonist can barely believe - it's too strange, too unsettling, for her to view directly, and that strengthens the horror elements in a book that sometimes errs towards thriller territory. The thematic development has some YA heavy-handedness, but the uneasy ending is equally successful, especially compared to, again, my expectations of its particular trope.
Somehow, I never encountered Cooney as a kid, but she was ridiculously prolific, particularly in this genre. I'll have to look into more of her work....more
Cora and Ampersand perpetually procrastinate their departure as Cora falls in with Paris and physeterines are discovered on Earth. This isn't the bookCora and Ampersand perpetually procrastinate their departure as Cora falls in with Paris and physeterines are discovered on Earth. This isn't the book I wanted it to be, and much of my reading experience was adjusting my expectations and trying to figure out if the book it actually is is any good.
Because this is more of a lateral move than a progression, recycling the Kaveh relationship in Paris (and the supporting characters continue to feel indistinct, like Paris, or distinct-but-distinctly-awful, like Sol), continuing to distance the narrative from Cora's PoV (my perpetual regret) and Cora and Ampersand's relationship (via a contrived conflict rooted more in miscommunication than bad communication, which sucks), and lingering to explore the world-as-is. Leaving Earth to burn would be thematically nihilistic, so I admire, on that level, what it means to linger; and the narrative hook for book 4 promises that that lingering could still be alien and weird and ethically questionable. But the hook for this book was left dangling, which makes me distrustful; and, on a creative level, leaving could have been so bold & weird & insular & codependent &c, and that's what I want - that's what sold the first book, and that's what I'm waiting for in the sequels.
In the end, I did like this. But I like it because Ellis is tackling themes and tropes I'm obsessed on an interpersonal level I adore. There's still so much that compels me and makes me want more: sign me up for Nikola-Paris-Cora-Ampersand-Nikola, which forms a phyle that violates no mores but the little issue of bestiality, and for the long-awaited alien sexytimes. Hell, I even like the physeterine worldbuilding; Ellis's aliens are convincingly, compellingly alien. But the series is stagnating, deviating, and I'm having to search harder for the bits I want to latch on to. ...more
1.5 stars, rounded down, sorry. A talking red oak tells the story of events unfolding in the local neighborhood. I appreciate the interjection of Natu1.5 stars, rounded down, sorry. A talking red oak tells the story of events unfolding in the local neighborhood. I appreciate the interjection of Nature Facts, and Applegate's heavy-handed messaging can totally work for me, see: Willodeen. But it doesn't here. Which strains credulity more, the talking wildlife who mostly talk about humans, or the local police who care a whole lot about hate crimes? This is twee, with earnest messaging that overrides common sense....more
Autistic traumatized girl investigates local ecology; rescues unlovable special interest-wildlife and in doing finds her place in her community & famiAutistic traumatized girl investigates local ecology; rescues unlovable special interest-wildlife and in doing finds her place in her community & family. And it's ridiculously charming. Applegate is unsubtle in her approach: everything plays out in predictable ways and the ecological message is uncamouflaged. But she has a knack for integrating capital-I Issues into organic, rounded characterization, particularly in the protagonist, and the inclusion of fantasy wildlife, the bubblenest-building hummingbears and skunk/boar-hybrid screechers, gives this a necessary sense of whimsy that lightens the heavy topics and relieves my urge to put a warning sticker about "rescuing" wildlife on the cover. Wholesome, cozy, and tells me to read more modern Applegate....more
Finally being adopted ought to fix all of Mary's problems, but the identity of her reclusive, eccentric adopter living on the edge of an equally stranFinally being adopted ought to fix all of Mary's problems, but the identity of her reclusive, eccentric adopter living on the edge of an equally strange town may present unexpected dangers. This is about as gentle a (view spoiler)[Baba Yaga (hide spoiler)] retelling as possible, which makes for an evocative atmosphere and an amiable introduction to this folklore, compellingly contrasted against reader/protagonist expectations from Grimm fairy tales. But it cleaves to increasingly predictable MG arcs and pacing, and loses all its tension by the climax. Familiar is a synonym for forgettable in my experience with MG fiction; I wish this were less safe, but I still like its cozy-spooky vibes. ...more
Tan's art - surreal, alien, with geometric character designs and an evocative sense of scale - elevates a text which is such an on-the-nose allegory fTan's art - surreal, alien, with geometric character designs and an evocative sense of scale - elevates a text which is such an on-the-nose allegory for colonialism that it feels flat, feels something worse even than didactic: simplistic. ...more
Fantastic, literally and descriptively: a lot of that big, strange Tan art, which means rich colors and rambling dieselpunk dystopias, existential andFantastic, literally and descriptively: a lot of that big, strange Tan art, which means rich colors and rambling dieselpunk dystopias, existential and nihilistic vibes. Like basically all depression metaphors, the happy ending is utterly unearned but still satisfying. Some picture books aren't really for kids, and I don't mind that - they can be graphic short stories, briefly evocative and particularly visually indulgent because of the constrained length. Rules of Summer is still the best Tan, though; he can get so unsubtle, depression here, conformity in Lost & Found, to say nothing of his really message-heavy works, but Rules of Summer plays up the weird to good effect. ...more
Loading...
